at the end of the last year, I had to set up a computer with an asrock mobo with a via graphic chip on it. The via support for linux is ... don't know how to call it, but the existing few buggy viaarena linux drivers are declared to be a security risk.

The Open source developpers do not get any or at least not enough support from via. Therefor the development is sluggishly slow.

Now someone has opened an online petition asking via for (better) linux support or a clear refusal on their products and their websites ( to prevent interested people from buying unsupported hardware).

I think it is a good idea to show VIA the users interest, the possibilities to help and to remind them of the consequenzes.

BTW: The above mentioned computer works fine with linux allthough it has a VIA chipset ( north and southbridge ). Sound is well supported by alsa ( this is a via/intel thing ). But the graphic device works only in vesa mode. ( No 3D openchrome driver and only openchrome 2D driver with the drawback of the need to patch and compile a kernel )